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Drugs in Perspective: Oxytrol goes over-the-counter

Anti-muscarinic drugs are an option in the treatment of overactive bladder which is defined as urinary urgency with or without urge incontinence, usually accompanied by frequency and nocturia, in the absence of a urinary tract infection or other obvious pathology.Oral oxybutynin has been available by prescription for over 40 years, initially marketed as Ditropan® and Ditropan XL® although now generically availably, in addition to the transdermal patch Oxytrol and transdermal gel Gelnique. As an antagonist at muscarinic receptors, oxybutynin leads to relaxation of the smooth muscle of the bladder which leads to increased bladder capacity, decreased involuntary contractions and decreased urgency and frequency of both voluntary and incontinent episodes. The suggested dose is one patch applied for 4 consecutive days, after which the patch should be removed and a new one applied.

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FDA approves higher dose, less-frequent dosing regimen for Copaxone

FDA approved a 40 mg/mL dose of glatiramer acetate injection (Copaxone, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.) to be used three times a week for patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). This new higher-dose formulation will allow for a less-frequent dosing regimen.

Another Ranbaxy facility stopped from making APIs for United States

Ranbaxy Laboratories is being prohibited by FDA from manufacturing and distributing active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from its Toansa, India, facility in order “to prevent substandard quality products from reaching U.S. consumers,” according to a news release.

State of Union address: Obama praises healthcare reform progress

More than 3 million Americans under aged 26 years have health insurance through their parents’ health plans. More than 9 million Americans have signed up for private health insurance or Medicaid coverage. And no American can be dropped or denied health insurance because of a pre-existing condition, said President Barack Obama about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) during his fifth State of the Union address on January 28th.

Study backs giving flu vaccine to adults with diabetes

Working-age adults-aged 18 to 64-with diabetes appear to have an increased risk of being hospitalized for influenza compared to similar-aged adults without diabetes, according to a study in Diabetologia.

Omega-3s may help lower risk of type 2 diabetes

High concentrations of serum long-chain omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a University of Eastern Finland study published recently in Diabetes Care. The sources of these fatty acids are fish and fish oils.

Medications vary during and after tonsillectomy care

While same-day tonsillectomy may be one of the most common and cumulatively costly surgeries for children in the United States, there is substantial variability in the quality of care and outcomes, reports a study in Pediatrics.

Bariatric surgery demonstrates cost recovery in less than 2 years: Study

A recent study confirms cost recovery and long-term savings for morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery procedures. - See more at: http://formularyjournal.modernmedicine.com/formulary-journal/news/bariatric-surgery-demonstrates-cost-recovery-less-2-years-study#sthash.gdmwiTok.dpuf

Online patient portal boosts diabetes medication adherence

Diabetic patients who used an online patient portal to refill medications increased their medication adherence and improved cholesterol levels, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in a recent issue of Medical Care.

Drug shortages have big impact on patient care

Drug shortages remain a serious problem for patient safety, according to newly published results from a survey of pharmacy directors. Nearly half of the responding directors reported adverse events at their facilities resulting from drug shortages - including patient deaths.

BLOG: Vitamins: Supplement at a detriment?

Complementary alternative medication (CAM) including vitamins, herbals, supplements, homeopathy, and extracts seems to be as polarizing a topic as politics these days. Given that more than half of the US adult population uses at least 1 CAM, you can easily find passionate opinions on either side of the isle from the Herbal Tea Party and Abstinence Only factions.1 Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) recently fueled the debate by publically declaring they would no longer provide CAM.2 Families wishing to continue these agents during hospitalization have to sign a waiver and provide the product. Some hospitals have long held this abstinence policy (perhaps sans waiver), but were less vocal in their withdrawal. The motivation for disallowing use is based on risks to the patients due to the inherent unknowns of CAM. Patients seem to be increasingly motivated to continue consuming, however, as self-management with CAM skyrockets.

Delirium in critically ill patients can be reduced with statins

Continued use of statins may help prevent delirium in critically ill patients who received statins before hospital admission, according to a study published online ahead of print in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Online patient portal boosts diabetes medication adherence

Diabetic patients who used an online patient portal to refill medications increased their medication adherence and improved cholesterol levels, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in a recent issue of Medical Care.

Antibiotic misuse problematic for adult emergency room patients

An analysis of emergency department (ED) visits over a 10-year period found that while inappropriate antibiotic use is decreasing in pediatric settings, it continues to remain a problem in adults, according to a study published ahead of print in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

Obinutuzumab with chlorambucil helped patients with blood cancer live longer without disease worsening compared to rituximab

In elderly patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) taking obinutuzumab (Gazyva, Genentech), also known as GA101, in combination with chlorambucil lived nearly 1 year longer without worsening of their disease compared to rituximab in combination with chlorambucil, according to a study published online ahead of print in the New England Journal of Medicine.